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Discussion series takes contemporary look at religion

By the time you read this, an exciting series will have begun at the Berkeley Community United Church or Christ examining the life of Jesus and what that life means to some of the greatest contemporary minds in American religious thought today. The goods news? It’s not too late to get plugged in – and without the risk of feeling like a “church person,” as the Church’s Reverend Kate Rose would put it. The series is showing Thursday evenings, from 7:00 PM, in an informal, not-churchy, discussion-oriented environment, just a block west of the Regis campus at 50th and Lowell.

Called Saving Jesus, the film series – shown in twelve parts – looks at the life of Jesus and different interpretations of what it all means from the perspectives of prominent religious scholars from across all walks of contemporary American religious life. “We’ve been trying to find a way to reach out to the community, to open up the whole question of Christianity to more people,” explains Rose. “We did the first series, Living the Questions – this one is targeted at Jesus himself, which is fun,” she says.

For a lot of young people, and the whole generation who are establishing lives and families in the neighborhood on their own, the sense of community is one of the reasons that attracted them to North Denver. While we may not have a very concrete idea of Jesus, who he was or how he lived – or even whether those questions are important – they are ideas that permeate the fabric of our society, guide the decision making processes of our leaders, and guide important currents that run throughout the fabric of our current social order. In 21st Century America, there’s no getting around Jesus – so, given a chance to explore what he is and what he means to you, and arming yourself with those ideas and what they mean to you in an informal setting, is a valuable experience.

Far from looking at Jesus as the figure who has been kidnapped by the Christian Right, the film series examines his life and the way it has been used by religious and political leaders from across all sides of the spectrum. While the films are being shown at Berkeley United Church of Christ, they might as well be shown at the local library or coffeehouse. All that is required to take part is a mind ready for discussion, an hour or so of attention span, and $12 – which pays for the entire three month series.

“People are scared of coming into a church,” says Rose. “And Jesus is hardly a neutral word. From there, you either say yes or no, and there are a bunch of things that come from that. The film is not doctrinal, but progressive in the sense that it looks at Jesus as a human being. The fun thing is not that you have to listen to these guys, but that it raises questions for you – what do you think? And oh dear, I think that’s the way to approach it, actually,” she says.

“At the end, the public will have a different idea about Jesus, or at least have considered more about his life and teachings than they ever thought they would have,” says Rose. “You can come and explore your ideas, and no worshipping is necessary. You have an opportunity to see where your ideas are on this stuff.”Come check out the film series, every Thursday for the next 11 weeks from 7:00 PM, at Berkeley Church, located at 50th and Mead Streets. For more information, call 303-433-5881.